Lillian

"Lillian," oil on panel

This portrait is a work completed from photo references and life. Lillian was about eight years old at the time, and is now about twenty years older. I liked the open-eyed wonder captured in this piece, which I've retained in my studio. 

 

Saturday Summer Sketch

I ordered a new sketchbook from Luchetti, a new company that makes their books lay flat (somehow) without the usual gutter that fills with puddles of paint. It's utterly flat when open, without any groove at the junction of pages. Remarkable. These currently can only be ordered directly via the link above. They come as hardcover in a single 8x8 size, though a new 5x5 square size is coming available. They are available as either hot or cold press and very heavy paper. 

"In the Biergarten," wc/ink on paper, ~8x11

This is a view from the Birgarten in Waterworks Park, which is open May through September for al fresco imbibing and hanging out. I sat at one of the picnic benches with a couple of colleagues and faced away from the group to focus on one of the vast landscape views one can see in the park. As ever I laid in the composition in graphite and then painted. After everything was dry I went back and added very narrow ink lines in selected spots. 

The Bike Trail

"The Trail," oil on panel, 9x12

This oil painting is a view of a pedestrian/bicycle trail that winds through Grays Lake, not far from my home studio. The asphalt trail is part of an extensive system that runs throughout Des Moines and connects to trails that go to other towns here in central Iowa. Cycling is one of the most popular activities around here. 

I set up my easel in the shade of one of these enormous trees that surround the lake and enjoyed a cool south breeze as I worked. This was completed on the spot.  

Fifth Street

"On Fifth Street," wc/ink on paper, 8x12

Saturday our sketch group headed for Valley Junction, an old shopping and downtown area that was once home to a railroad town before changing its name and losing the railroad connection. The original name stuck to this district, which recovered as a funky, trendy area of shops. There are bars, eateries, art galleries, jewelry shops, and the like plus a great deal of century-old architecture. The main business street is 5th.

Although the day was broiling, it was pleasant enough on a shady bench with a light breeze. I sketched a converted theater on the opposite corner, it's old movie marquee still there. The occupant now is, fittingly, a costume shop where you can get anything from theatrical costumes to Frankenstein masks. The Junction was quite busy that day, despite the oppressive heat. 

This watercolor followed my usual method--graphite sketch, paint then ink, then modify.
 

Saturday on Sherman Hill

"On Sherman Hill," wc/ink on paper, ~8x15

Last weekend the Saturday sketch group had difficulty deciding where to go, with several groups going to different locales. I chose to go to Sherman Hill, an enclave of Victorian houses just northwest of downtown. After scouting sites I decided on a big house surrounded by nature trees. The gables and turret were deciding factors. This part of Des Moines dates to the late 19th century, after a pioneer entrepreneur built his home there.

My usual technique came into play--graphite sketch, paint, adjust, ink--but not being used to this size sketchbook it took longer than expected. Although most of this one was done on site, I finished some of it later on in my home studio.
 

Coneflower Cornucopia

While organizing file the other day I came across images of an interesting experiment. Some years ago while learning new painting mediums I did a number of studies of purple coneflowers in my garden. The idea was to learn to handle media besides my usual oil and occasional watercolors. With the subjects at hand just outside my studio door I did the four little paintings posted here. These are all 4x5 and done on the spot. 

The first (right) is oil paint on a 4x6 gesso panel. Like the others below, the small size allowed for quick execution and therefore loose treatment, encouraging close observation and significant simplification. 

Oil painting is probably the most satisfying medium I use. It's a suave, semi-opaque paint that stays put and dries to a durable, long-lasting film. But it's less portable than others and more expensive. Still, I love oil painting outdoors. 
 

The second image is a watercolor done on a postcard sized piece of  cold-press paper. As is clear, this kind of paint is quite transparent in comparison to somewhat more opaque oil paint. Again the small size and limited time encouraged detailed observation and rewarded simplification. Watercolor is a wonderfully quick and fun medium for outdoor and alla prima painting. Simple, portable materials continue to make this my go-to for outdoor work. 

Another art medium I've continued to explore for years is digital drawing and painting. This particular digital painting was done on an iPad using a program called Sketchbook. It is sized like the other images here, though it could be any size the user chooses. 

Examining this one after a lapse of several years suggests to me that digital painting can result in higher chroma images. It's also fascinating how digitally-made images like this can strongly suggest the use of traditional media. 

Coupling an intuitive and complex program with a tablet like iPad ought to be another even simpler way to sketch outdoors. Of course, learning a digital art program and tablet pose significant learning curves. Notheless I may begin using a table outdoors too. 

 

Finally this image was made using casein paint. Casein paint is actually a stable emulsion of oil and casein (milk protein) and comes tubed like other traditional paint media. It handles a little like oil, but is water soluble until it dries. Once casein is dry it makes a tough and durable paint film. (Think of dried milk in the bottom of a glass.) Casein isn't used much any more, being replaced by acrylics. Looking at this little painting--another 4x6--the image is at once simple but also solid-looking. 

Casein is an interesting medium that might be useful outdoors but will demand care. Some kind of drying retarder is likely available and might help keep the paint open longer.  

 

At the Marina

"At the Marina," wc/ink on paper, ~8x11

Our sketch group met again last weekend, and this time we went to an area northeast of downtown that features a marina along the Des Moines Rive and a large city park across the street. Some opted for the park but several of us went to a spot along the bike trail where there was live music and snacks. I had a Guinness (canned, alas) and spent nearly two hours drawing the building and the crowd. 

I have a new sketchbook that's larger the last few I filled, so it takes longer to finish a sketch. This one is about 8x10 so I didn't have time to complete the lower right section. Perhaps later on. 

This painting went through my usual routine of graphite drawing, painting, inking, touching up.